Robin Roberts Signs Multi-Million Deal, Reveals She's Gay

Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts signed a contract worth a reported $20 million per year around December 20, then waited until the end of December to come out of the closet, revealing in a Facebook post Sunday that she is a lesbian. Roberts wrote:

At this moment I am at peace and filled with joy and gratitude. I am grateful to God, my doctors and nurses for my restored good health. I am grateful for my sister, Sally-Ann, for being my donor and giving me the gift of life. I am grateful for my entire family, my long time girlfriend, Amber, and friends as we prepare to celebrate a glorious new year together. I am grateful for the many prayers and well wishes for my recovery. I return every one of them to you 100 fold. On this last Sunday of 2013 I encourage you to reflect on what you are grateful for too.

An ABC News spokeswoman acknowledged that Roberts has been in a relationship with a massage therapist named Amber Laign for ten years. Roberts had been championed in 2012 for her fight against myleodysplastic syndrome, and Good Morning America used her absence to offer on-air updates about her status. The show let its audience visit with her via video, and she made a short visit to the set while she recovered. The ratings soared, and GMA was able to sustain its lead over the Today Show, which it recently acquired in 2012.

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ABC News is making a habit of using the off-air travails of its reporters for some purpose; recently, reporter Amy Robach spent airtime talking about her discovery of her breast cancer after she had a mammogram on television a month earlier. In October, 20/20 anchor Elizabeth Vargas talked about joining a program for treatment of alcohol dependency.